The New Sannin
by King Hawke
Summary: The Sannin stick together, and are hated by the village for various reasons. they notice that the "hero" Naruto is treated poorly too, so they all leave to form their own village. They train Naruto to be the Next Sannin.
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse

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_In a Restaurant in Konoha:_

Jiraiya takes a long gulp from his beer mug and slams it down onto the table. "This village is corrupt! The councils rule everything!" he declares.

Orochimaru rolls his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, give it a rest, Jiraiya."

"He has a point, Orochimaru," Tsunade states. "Sarutobi may have convinced me to stay, but I've seen how they treat the Fourth's son, like the demon he contains."

"It's against the law to talk about it," Orochimaru hisses.

Jiraiya glares at him, "And since when have you cared about laws?"

"Sarutobi put me in my place in my labs, remember? I've done my time in the prison," snaps Orochimaru unhappily. "Since then, the councils have indeed taken over, and Sarutobi cannot protect the boy."

Jiraiya drains his mug and slams it onto the table. "My student would roll over in his grave if he saw how his son is treated!"

"We aren't treated much better," Tsunade grumbles.

Jiraiya sighs, "They hate me because I'm a pervert, they hate Orochimaru because of his past experiments, and they hate Tsunade because the Uchiha clan has poisoned their minds against her. I say we should just leave the village!"

"Careful, Jiraiya," points out the Snake Sannin. "That could be considered treasonous."

Tsunade smirks, "Who could stop us if we did commit treason? I'm fed up with this village!"

"That makes three of us," Orochimaru and Jiraiya say simultaneously. Jiraiya continues, "If we are to leave, we will become missing nin."

Tsunade rolls up her sleeve to show the slug contract on her arm, "And?"

"You mentioned the Fourth's son Naruto?" Orochimaru inquires.

Jiraiya growls, "They used me to help create that seal, now they hate him for it. I say if we leave, we should take him with us!"

"Let's go then! We have more than enough money, and we can seal our possessions in scrolls!" exclaims Tsunade.

Orochimaru sighs and glances around at the empty restaurant, the other customers having left when they entered. "I will send a snake for the boy. We leave tonight."

"As soon as it gets dark," Jiraiya agrees. "We have enough tricks up our sleeves to get away clean."

Tsunade grins, "We're known as the Sannin for a reason!"

"Indeed," hisses her snake-like teammate. They vanish in puffs of smoke leaving behind a few coins to pay for their meals and drinks.

_Later that Night:_

A Chunin rushes into the Hokage's office. "Lord Hokage! The Sannin have left the village!"

Sarutobi stands from his chair quickly, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir! And they seem to have taken the dem—Uzumaki boy with them," he corrects himself.

Sarutobi frowns but nods, "Send out Hunter nin after them! At best, it will slow them down until we can arrive."

The Chunin rushes from the room to carry out his orders. Sarutobi pulls off his Hokage robes to reveal his old armor. "This is going to be the fight of the century," he murmurs before leaping out the window to go after his former students.

_An Hour Later:_

Sarutobi lands in the forest, surrounded by Anbu and Jonin. Jiraiya sits around table playing cards with his two teammates. "All of you! What are you doing here?" the Hokage demands.

"Pull up a chair, Sarutobi," Tsunade calls, "I think I might win this time! Call!"

Orochimaru lays down his hand and grins, "Once again, I win. Your luck will never change, Tsunade."

Jiraiya grumbles and pushes his chips to Orochimaru before turning to his teacher. "Sarutobi, we're leaving, and we are never coming back. If you come after us, we will kill you," he says conversationally, as if he were talking about the weather.

Tsunade smiles pleasantly, "That's exactly what we're doing. Now, please leave before we have to get physical."

Sarutobi sighs, "Anbu, arrest them!" The three Sannin run through very familiar hand signs and three massive puffs of smoke fills the air. The Anbu fly out of the smoke, followed by a stream of acid and a skyscraper-sized blade.

The smoke dissipates to reveal the three Boss Summons of the Sannin. Gamabunta, the Slug Queen, and Manda glare down at the small army below them. The Toad Boss grumbles, "Get out of here, Sarutobi. I will not let you take these three back to that corrupt hellhole of a village."

Manda licks his lips slowly, "Ah, Orochimaru, you finally brought me a sacrifice." He eyes the Jonin and Anbu hungrily.

Tsunade pats her slug's head lightly and shouts, "Let us go or we will pulverize you! Right?"

"Yes, my Lady," murmurs the Giant Slug respectfully.

Sarutobi summons Enma who turns into a long black pole. "Enma, we have to bring these three back to the village, dead or alive. They are planning on becoming missing nins."

Enma gazes at the other three Boss Summons, "Are you willing to support the Sannin in this matter, or the Hokage"

"Our masters have a valid point," the Slug says quietly.

Manda snarls, "Orochimaru is the only one worthy of my power. The village is holding him back!"

Gamabunta takes a deep puff of his pipe and answers calmly, "I support the Sannin. The village is too corrupt to continue serving, especially after the treatment of Minato's boy."

Sarutobi feels remorse, thinking back on the times that he allowed Naruto to be mistreated and abused by the villagers. "The laws of our village require you to come back with us, or to be labeled as missing nin," Sarutobi says tiredly. "Make things easy on yourselves!"

"We are," Jiraiya states coldly. "We're leaving."

Enma glances at his summoner, shaking his head with regret. "I'm sorry, Sarutobi, but I will not fight the boss summons. Not only will we lose, but it will damage relations between our animal clans." He disappears in a puff of smoke, much to Sarutobi's surprise.

Sarutobi shouts, "Than you leave us no choice. Attack!" The ninja and Anbu jump at them, but the swift blade of Gamabunta and the acid spray of the Slug Queen wipes out most of them. The Hokage starts running through hand signs while the Sannin leap off of their summons and attack, running through their own hand signs. Sarutobi barely dodges their combined elemental attacks with a mud wall.

He senses someone behind him and ducks under the Grass Cutter Sword. Orochimaru kicks Sarutobi hard in the gut, cracking his armor. "Just die, old man," he sneers.

"What has gotten into you, Orochimaru? I thought you learned your lesson!" Sarutobi yells, dodging more slashes and counterattacking with a wooden bo staff from a wrist seal.

Orochimaru snarls, "Have you gone senile, Sarutobi? Staying in that village where they hate me is a sick joke!"

Might Gai and Jiraiya trade blows on even terms, but the green-clothed man's speed is the only thing that saves him from Jiraiya's jutsu. He punches at the Sannin as hard as he can, only to have his hand shredded by Jiraiya's hard spikey hair. Jiraiya kicks Gai through seven trees and ends the duel with a hard punch to his forehead.

Anbu fly over the treetops from the powerful punches of Tsunade, a few of them unfortunate enough to survive the punches. Kakashi runs at Tsunade with his Chidori from behind when a barrage of needles pin him to a tree. A moment later, a large pig rams his gut while Shizune knocks him unconscious with a needle to a nerve on his neck. "Thanks, Shizune!" Tsunade calls.

The apprentice answers quickly, "Sorry for not coming sooner, Lady Tsunade!" The Slug Sannin waves it off and Shizune disappears into the forest.

The Sannin regroup, having dealt with most of the other forces, to fight their old mentor. "I think we have enough of a head start that we can let you go," Tsunade states, shattering his armor completely with a single punch.

Orochimaru hisses, "If not for the other villages seeing your death as a chance to invade, I would slay you here. Goodbye, Sarutobi."

Jiraiya waves, "Goodbye, Sensei!" The three Sannin explode into blood.

"Blood clones?" gasps Sarutobi. "Why didn't they dispel in battle?"

Gamabunta glowers at him dangerously, "Because of the amount of chakra pushed into them! These are better than blood clones. They are an advanced mix of Shadow and Blood clones."

"Ah," Sarutobi says, "Is there any chance that I will be able to catch them now?"

Manda glares at him and licks his bloody lips. "Not a chance."

The Slug Queen says in a whispy voice, "Take your wounded and go. Next time, we will not be merciful." The three summons vanish in huge billows of smoke. Sarutobi swallows a soldier pill and makes shadow clones. The clones grab the survivors and head back to Konoha in defeat.

Jiraiya holds onto the medium-sized toad when his clone's memories hit him. Orochimaru hisses, clinging to his snake, "Why did we let him live?"

Tsunade retorts, "Because we owe him that much for training us."

Jiraiya glances over his shoulder at the young orange-clad form of Naruto. "How are you holding up, Naruto?"

Naruto answers as cheerfully as he can, "I'm doing great now!"

Shizune appears on a fast moving slug and catches up with them. "Nobody is following us," she informs them.

Kabuto chuckles from his perch behind his master, "Of course they aren't! Who would dare take us on after suffering such casualties?"

"An old fool," whispers Jiraiya bitterly. He says loud enough for everyone else to hear, "Where are we going?"

Orochimaru smirks evilly, "Do you think that I stayed in the village this entire time? I always had a mud clone walking around the village; but most of the time, I was forming my own village!"

"Your own village?" inquires Tsunade skeptically.

Kabuto holds up a forehead protector with a single note on it, "The Sound Village!"

"We are not going to be your subordinates, Orochimaru," warns Jiraiya, resting his hand on his scroll of jutsus.

Orochimaru sneers, "Of course not, Jiraiya. I'm not stupid! In my Sound Village, we can pass on our teachings to whoever we deem worthy. Tsunade, you can create the best healing institution in the world. Jiraiya, your books and research can go on without interruption. I will continue studying jutsus and the key to immortality."

"What about Naruto?" Jiraiya asks suspiciously.

Orochimaru smirks, "He will be the new Sannin. We will train him in all of our skills. I have heard of a group called the Akatsuki. They are collecting demon containers for whatever reason. By the time we finish with him, he will be on even footing with them, hopefully."

"You want Naruto to be our successor?" Tsunade says in surprise.

Orochimaru raises an eyebrow, "Yes, I do. Let's hurry; Anko is waiting for us at the rendezvous point."

Jiraiya frowns darkly, "Isn't Anko that apprentice of yours that disappeared and was presumed to be dead?"

"Indeed," Orochimaru says cheerfully, "She has become quite strong under my tutelage. She runs the village in my absence and is entrusted with recruiting more ninja for the village."

Tsunade retorts, "Let's go then! You better have plenty of sake waiting for me."

"Naturally, Tsunade," Orochimaru says smoothly. "I wouldn't forget something so crucial." Jiraiya snickers but is quickly silenced by Tsunade's glare. Naruto sits behind Jiraiya quietly, taking in the conversation.

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse

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Jiraiya hops off his toad and it dispels. "Where are we, Orochimaru?" he asks cautiously. He looks around at the barren clearing.

"At one of the village entrances," he replies calmly. The Snake Sannin smears some blood on a tree on the edge of the clearing. A hidden seal activates and the ground rumbles. His fellow Sannin jump back into defensive stances while the ground rises to reveal an entrance. "Swipe some blood on the seal so that you can use it to get back in later," he explains.

Jiraiya examines the seal after wiping some blood on it, "Impressive."

"I'm a genius, remember?" Orochimaru smirks. Tsunade rolls her eyes and enters the tunnel network with her companions. Naruto stays close to Jiraiya when they enter. Sound ninja greet them.

A ninja drops before them, "Welcome back, Lord Orochimaru," he says reverently. "Lady Anko awaits your presence in the throne room."

Orochimaru dismisses his ninja and turns to the others, "Kabuto will take you to your rooms. The village has several locations, but at the moment, this is the main one. With all of our enemies hunting for us, we cannot be too cautious."

Jiraiya quips, "You've been preparing this for awhile, haven't you?" His teammate ignores him and sinks into the floor. "Genjutsu," Jiraiya mutters. He faces Orochimaru's right hand man. "So, Kabuto, where are our rooms?"

He gestures for them to follow and walks down the halls. "This room is the Toad Sannin's," Kabuto says as he passes each room. Jiraiya peers in to find a spacious room with plenty of room for books and writing. Couches are lined up along each wall. Waiting in bed for him are five gorgeous women.

"Hello, Master Jiraiya," they say seductively. He grins and calls to the rest of the group, "I'll catch up later!" He closes the door behind him.

Kabuto walks down the hall a bit, "In here is the Slug Sannin's quarters and those of her apprentice." Tsunade goes into the room, finding medical charts and medical scrolls stacked in small shelves and posted to the walls. Twin beds lay side by side, fully furnished.

Kabuto glances at Naruto and points to the room across the hall. "That's your room, Naruto Uzumaki," he says amiably.

Naruto walks into the room and looks around. He sees a large scroll pinned across an entire wall covered in jutsus and seals containing every weapon imaginable. "Wow," he whispers. He goes to the center of the room and turns in a slow circle to take in the room. On the two remaining walls, the names of everyone on the base and their ranks are placed along with their specialties. On one of those walls is a strange machine. He reads the label: "Ramen making machine." He grins. "Yahoo!!" he shouts. Ninja throughout the fortress wince at his volume.

Orochimaru smirks from the entrance of his throne room, "He found the ramen machine."

Kabuto watches the youngster and inquires, "Naruto, how old are you?"

"I was going to start the academy next year, so I'm eight years old!" he puffs out his chest proudly.

The glasses wearing ninja chuckles, "I see. Well, training starts tomorrow. Your sparring partners will be Tayuya, Jirobo, Kidamaru, Sakon, and Ukon. Once Tsunade has done all that she can for Kimimaro, he will also be joining your training sessions."

"I'm going to be the strongest ninja there is!" Naruto proclaims.

Kabuto ruffles his hair and leaves the room, "I'm sure you will," he mutters, "At least the second strongest ninja if you include Lord Orochimaru."

_In the Throne Room:_

Orochimaru sits in his throne and snaps his fingers. Ninja appear next to his throne on one knee, "What are your orders, Lord Orochimaru?" they say quickly.

He smiles, "Where is Anko?"

"Right here, my Lord," purrs a voice from behind the throne. She kneels beside his throne and asks respectfully, "Did your desertion of Konoha go smoothly?"

Orochimaru grins, "It did. Was there any doubt?"

"Of course not, Master," Anko answers without hesitation. He gently lifts her chin and she stands to her feet.

"You are my greatest pupil," he compliments her, causing her to blush slightly. "And you shall help train the next Sannin."

She frowns in confusion, "Another Sannin?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, the container of the Nine Tailed Fox," he says simply. "Add him to your training regiment with the Sound Four."

She nods, "As you wish, my Lord."

"Now, have there been any problems in the village?" he inquires, resting his chin on his hand.

She thinks about it before saying, "Zaku tried to molest one of the girls here. Kin and Dosu stopped him."

"Put him on their team," he says idly. "They will teach him self control or he will die by their hands."

"Yes, sir. Is that all?" Anko inquires.

He looks her over appraisingly, "Get some sleep, Anko. You have a long day of training ahead of you tomorrow and you have bags under your eyes. I must have all my commanders at their peek should we be found out."

She bows to him, "Forgive me, my Lord, but it has been hectic without you here to control the village."

"I am here now. Rest," he states. She sinks back into the shadows and vanishes from sight. He glances at the still kneeling ninja at his other side, "I am here to stay instead of ferrying between here and Konoha. Make sure the village is aware." They disappear in puffs of smoke. His yellow eyes glow in the darkness. "The next Sannin will have all of our strengths and none of our weaknesses. I will not tolerate weakness, nor will my teammates."

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	3. Chapter 3

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Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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_The Next Morning: _

Naruto pants heavily and glances out from behind a tree. He ducks back just in time to dodge a concentrated blast of air. He jumps up the tree and the base of it crumples under another blast of air. He leaps out of the tree and rolls under another blast. He grabs a kunai and runs in close but gets thrown back by a lighter blast of air. "Enough, Zaku," Orochimaru orders. "Get back to your team. They have orders to kill you if you show behavior unfitting for one of my shinobi." The boy bows and runs away quickly.

Orochimaru towers of Naruto with his arms crossed. "Do you know what you did wrong, Naruto?" The blonde shakes his head quickly. "You hesitated and were afraid of killing him. Killing is the life blood of a ninja." Naruto frowns but nods. "You must learn to kill," Orochimaru states.

Jiraiya staggers into the clearing, holding his head. "What a hangover," he grumbles. Tsunade walks up beside him and casually flicks him in the arm, sending him flying through four trees.

Orochimaru sighs and approaches his teammates. He says quietly, "The boy's training is to begin now. Tsunade, you teach him what you will. Jiraiya, find something useful to teach him after you get over your hangover. I will teach him my own style."

"Will he get one of those bloody curse marks?" Jiraiya asks as he staggers to his feet.

Orochimaru snorts, "Of course not! I want him to be the next Sannin, not a servant. He must rely on his own strength to stand up against his upcoming enemies." His fingers snap and four young ninja appear around him. "These are the Sound Four. Children, teach Naruto what it takes to be a ninja without your curse marks."

Ukon and Sakon rush at him. The blonde barely dodges the first fist but is caught in the follow up kick. Tayuya jumps into the air and clubs the boy in the head with her thick metal flute. He falls to the ground, rubbing his head and groaning. "Again," Orochimaru orders. Naruto climbs to his feet and looks around at the four children warily. He forms shadow clones and rushes at all of them at once. Kidomaru forms yellow sticky web clubs in his six hands and leaps onto the clones, swinging and bashing in every direction. Sakon and Ukon punch and kick in all directions, which catches the Narutos off guard when a fist comes out of his shoulder and a foot comes out of his lower back. The clones all poof out of existence and Naruto falls back to the ground, covered in bruises.

The four stand over him and chuckle quietly. Orochimaru states, "That is enough. You have shown the extent of his abilities. Naruto, where did you learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

"Pervy Sage taught it to me awhile ago to help get away from villagers," he pants heavily.

Orochimaru glances at his teammate sharply. The Toad Sage puts his hands up defensively, "He needed it!"

"You are fortunate he has an abundance of chakra," Orochimaru hisses.

Tsunade pummels Jiraiya over the head harshly, "You could have killed him by teaching him that jutsu if he used up all his chakra!"

Jiraiya rubs the back of his head and scowls, "Hey! It worked out didn't it?"

"We will discuss such carelessness later," Orochimaru states. He turns back to Naruto. "Anko will be out here shortly to teach you. Until then, see how long you can last against the Four. Continue when you are ready, Naruto."

The Sound Four crouch and get ready to pounce on him. Naruto stumbles to his feet and gets into a defensive stance. "Come on then!" he shouts. He jumps over Jirobo's shoulder but the large boy grabs onto his ankle and throws him to the ground, making him explode in a poof of smoke.

"Another clone? When did he make that?" Kidomaru inquires quickly, looking around for their prey. Naruto leaps out of the nearest bushes and slugs the spider boy across the jaw before tackling Tayuya. Her flute barely stops his kunai before he is kicked aside by Jirobo. Sakon catches him and punches him in the stomach, face, and legs before dropping him. They spread out to a circle formation again and wait for him to get up.

The Sannin slowly walk away. "How did you rest, Tsunade?" Orochimaru asks politely.

She grumbles, "Good enough. Where's Shizune?"

"Probably either feeding Tonton or sparring with Kabuto," he responds.

Jiraiya rubs his eyes and looks around. "Building training grounds with grass and trees underground is quite clever of you, Orochimaru. How did you manage it?"

Orochimaru smirks, "A good ninja never reveals his secrets." Jiraiya snorts and takes a gulp of the nearly empty sake bottle around his belt. "How is your research coming along, Jiraiya?" the snake Sannin hisses.

Jiraiya grins perversely and answers, "If I have cooperation like last night, books should be rolling out in no time!"

Tsunade rolls her eyes at his antics and inquires, "So what about the hospital you promised me?" Orochimaru gestures to a large building up ahead.

"That will be the start of it. As you gain more information and jutsu, you will be given the required space and instruments," Orochimaru explains. "You will also have your pick of assistants."

Tsunade glances around at passing shinobi. "Her, him, him, her, and her," she says while pointing out random people.

Orochimaru snaps his fingers to get their attention and draws the selected people to him. "You are all now Tsunade's assistants," he states. They hurriedly follow her to the hospital, lest they draw their master's wrath. Orochimaru glances over at Jiraiya, "Come on, dobe. We have some training to do."

"But I want to do more research!" declares Jiraiya.

Orochimaru glares, "You can do your 'research' after you get back into shape. We all need to stay in our peek physical conditions if we are going to survive with Konoha and other villages after us."

Jiraiya frowns but nods reluctantly. "Defend yourself," Jiraiya grunts. He smashes through Orochimaru, turning him into mud. He spins around and forces Orochimaru to dodge a punch. Orochimaru slowly grins as his teammate becomes more serious. Nearby ninja go to the nearest light posts and activate seals which automatically make a barrier around them to contain their jutsu and fighting to prevent them from destroying the village.

_On the other side of the underground village: _

Kabuto dodges another flurry of needles and jabs with his chakra scalpel, only to be blocked with a chakra-channeling kunai. "Tired already, Shizune?" he chides. She kicks in his knee and jabs him in the throat with her elbow.

"Not quite yet," she retorts, pushing him back. He severs her left arm's chakra network and jumps back. She reconnects the network with a small healing jutsu and continues the attack. "You're good."

He admits, "Yeah, so are you." He dodges another attack and counters it. "You don't get trained by Sannin without knowing a few tricks." She spits out a plume of poisonous gas at him and fires another flurry of needles from her sleeves. He inhales just a whiff and falters under her follow up punch to the stomach. He falls back and reattacks, only to be slashed across the headband. He frowns darkly, "This was my new sound headband."

She smirks, "My deepest sympathies." He growls and jumps at her furiously. She sidesteps and kicks him in the side. The silver-haired boy grabs her foot and severs the nerves in her knee before yanking on it. She falls and does a back hand plant before landing on her good knee and hopping back a few steps. Her arm needle launcher rearms itself with a new supply and she fires it, giving her enough time to fix her knee enough to continue fighting. He gets hit by one of the needles, but he heals himself while she fixes her knee. They gaze at each other angrily.

Kabuto says slowly, "This is going to be a long day."

"You read my mind," Shizune replies dryly. Without another word, they lunged at each other again; the time for words is past.

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	4. Chapter 4

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Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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_Two Years Later: _

"Will you please go out with me, Tayuya?" a voice pleads.

A _thunk_ and a hole in the wall later, Tayuya shouts, "No, I won't go out with you, you moron!" Naruto crawls out of the debris and rubs his sore head. "If you ask again, I'm going to beat the crap out of you!"

"Want to have lunch instead?" Naruto inquires with a big grin. Kabuto catches Tayuya's flute and twists her hand behind her back.

He forces her to her knees and whispers in her ear, "Lord Orochimaru wants you to keep your beatings of him to the training grounds. We cannot afford excess amounts of property damage." He releases her and walks away. She yells profanities at him and storms off.

"Thanks, brother Kabuto!" Naruto waves after him.

Kabuto calls over his shoulder, "I'm not your brother!" The blonde grins, completely ignoring what Kabuto said when he is lifted up by his shoulders by Jirobo.

The large boy sighs, "Naruto, keep asking her out, and she will eventually kill you."

"She's worth the risk!" Naruto declares proudly.

Kidomaru slowly eases himself down his web to hang in front of Naruto. "No, she isn't!"

Kimimaro slowly approaches the boys and frowns. "Naruto," the bone wielding ninja says quietly. "Get back to training. Master Jiraiya is waiting for you in the bath house to teach you your jutsu for this week."

Naruto grins, "I'm already there!" The Sound Five glances at each other and he bursts into smoke.

Jirobo coughs on the smoke and Kimimaro says quietly, "He is getting more skilled at the art of deception."

Tayuya scowls as she approaches them, dragging Ukon by the scruff of the neck behind her, "Where is Naruto? I want Ukon to tear him apart inside out!"

"Why?" Kidomaru inquires.

Tayuya shouts, "Because he carved his name on my flute!" The boys glance at each other again and disappear in poofs of smoke. "Cowards!" she roars.

_In the Bathhouse: _

Naruto receives the memories of his clone and chuckles. "Naruto! Pay attention!" Jiraiya snaps. Beautiful women surround the Toad Sannin, clad in nothing but short towels.

"You're one to talk, Pervy Sage!" Naruto exclaims, pointing to the women. "You are constantly writing perverted stuff and hanging around women with almost no clothes on!"

A dark haired woman slides over to Naruto and wraps her arms around him seductively. "Does Master Naruto feel left out?" He pales and shakes his head quickly. She smiles sexily and rubs against the boy playfully. "Are you sure?" Naruto closes his eyes and tries to focus on the image of Tayuya in his mind, reminding himself that he likes Tayuya and not the girl rubbing up on him.

Jiraiya laughs and calls the girl back to his side. She snuggles against Jiraiya's arm and smiles. "Naruto, in a few years, you're going to thank me. But, until then, focus chakra to your feet and stand on the water." Naruto tries to stand on the water, but a giggle from one of the women causes him to fall down.

"How can I concentrate with all these women around?" Naruto shouts with a red face.

Jiraiya frowns, "A ninja will be faced with many obstacles. One of those obstacles is distractions from beautiful women. If you cannot ignore these women and get your training done, then you are a liability if you leave the village. Now try it again!"

Naruto sighs and focuses chakra to his feet, launching himself into the ceiling. The women help to pull him out and seductively run their fingers over him as they set him down. He does his best to ignore them, but it is hard. He focuses more and tries again.

Tsunade sits on the far side of the hot springs, watching his progress. She relaxes with a large towel wrapped around her shapely body, since her teammate is so distracted by the other girls. Shizune rushes in and whispers to Tsunade, "Kin beat the crap out of Dosu and Zaku again. They didn't follow her orders during training."

"Heal them and give Kin a week's worth of clean up duty in the operating room," the Slug Sannin answers. "Inform Anko of their activities and get her to find suitable punishment for the boys. They are her responsibility, and Kin is mine as one of my part time nurses."

Shizune hurries from the bath house and finds Anko at the dango shop. "Anko, Team Five had trouble again. Kin will be in the operating room on clean up duty for a week. You need to deal with Zaku and Dosu."

Anko tosses her a dango stick over her shoulder and replies, "I'll deal with them. Have a seat, Shizune." The Slug Sannin's apprentice sits down with Tonton right behind her. Anko looks her over and frowns, "How do you think Master Naruto's training is coming along?"

"He is progressing very quickly!" Shizune answers. "He learns jutsu and physical strength faster than anyone I have ever met."

Anko smiles creepily, "Good. Lord Orochimaru will be pleased to hear it. However, he has also informed me of something else."

"What is that?" Shizune asks with a raised eyebrow.

Anko smiles wider, "You, Kabuto, and Naruto will make up the new generation of Sannin. A student of each Sannin will take their place eventually."

"I'll have to work with Kabuto?" Shizune frowns with disgust.

Anko rolls her eyes, "You work well enough with him in the hospital."

"Because it's a professional job that cannot have prejudices getting in the way," Shizune counters.

Anko grins, "Think about it as an equally professional job that needs cooperation. Naruto will be in charge of the team when he gets older. Until then, he will be a part of the Sound Six. If you don't join the new team of Sannin, Lord Orochimaru will probably put someone more cooperative with Naruto and Kabuto."

Shizune frowns and shakes her head slowly, "I care too much for Naruto to leave him to Orochimaru's henchmen. I'll do it."

A kunai imbeds itself into the wood next to Shizune's head, leaving a thin scratch on her cheek. "I resent being called Lord Orochimaru's Henchman. You will also refer to him as Lord Orochimaru."

"Yeah right," Shizune retorts, pulling the kunai from the wood. "Lady Tsunade is my only master, not that creepy snake man. I don't care how powerful he is. He will not get his hooks in Naruto, and I'll show that man respect when he earns some!"

Anko glares at her for a minute or two before breaking out into laughter. She slaps Shizune on the back. "I can see why Kabuto likes you! You have a lot of spirit."

"He does not like me!" Shizune argues with a blush forming on her face. "I hate that glasses wearing sadist!"

Anko rolls her eyes and grins, "Sure he doesn't, just like you don't like him either."

"I don't like him!" Shizune insists.

"Then who do you like?" Anko asks pointedly. Shizune opens her mouth but bites her tongue at the last minute. "Ah, I see. A soft spot for the blonde idiot. As long as you care about one of your teammates, it doesn't matter. Naruto will care about both of you as family and fellow ninja enough to keep you both out of trouble. Lord Orochimaru is planning to attack Konoha in a few years when Naruto is strong enough to lead you and Kabuto and the rest of the Sound forces into battle. We have made a secret alliance with the Sand village. Naruto is scheduled to go meet with their Jinchuuriki next month."

Shizune stands in horror. "Gaara, the son of the Kazekage? That lunatic will crush Naruto like a bug!"

"Do you doubt the training skills and abilities of our Masters?" Anko growls.

Shizune sighs as she sits down, "Of course not."

"Than trust them to do as they see fit," Anko replies coldly.

Shizune frowns at her darkly, "I will allow their plans to continue, for now. But if Naruto or Lady Tsunade is in any danger, I will stop them."

Anko laughs hard and almost falls off of her stool. When she calms down, she laughs, "That'll be fun to watch! Just keep up your training and try to get along with Kabuto. Okay?" She puts her hand on Shizune's shoulder.

Shizune shrugs off her hand and glares at her dangerously, "Okay. If you ever try to harm Naruto…" her voice trails off.

"Lord Jiraiya and Lord Orochimaru would end any threat to his life before it began," Anko says confidently.

Shizune stands up and grunts, "They had better." She storms away from the dango stand, leaving a laughing Anko to her dango.

After Shizune leaves, Anko's laughter fades and she scowls, "I need to report to Lord Orochimaru about her...questionable attitude. He'll know how to deal with it."

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	5. Chapter 5

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Disclaimer: You know the drill. See chapter 1.

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_One Month Later: _

Naruto bows respectfully to the Fourth Kazekage with the Sound Five. Orochimaru and Anko stand on either side of them. "Hello, Lord Kazekage," Orochimaru hisses. "I am so glad that you could meet with us."

"I was surprised when I heard that all of the Sannin defected from Konoha and then showed up on my doorstep. Do you wish to join Suna?" the Kazekage inquires professionally.

Orochimaru smirks, "No. I am here for my own purposes. Namely, I would like to solidify our alliance."

"How?" the Kazekage frowns suspiciously under his mask. His Anbu tense up around him.

Orochimaru slowly smiles, "By meeting your Jinchuriki. I assure you that he will not be able to harm me."

"I am not responsible if he kills any of your men," the Kazekage warns quickly.

Orochimaru steps forward, his yellow eyes glowing. "Just show me the boy." The Kazekage waves for his very tense Anbu to relax and to retrieve Gaara.

Of the five that went to retrieve him, only two come back with the boy walking between them. He has an impassive stare fixed on his face as he approaches the group. He looks at Orochimaru and then at the other children. "Gaara, this is the Sannin Orochimaru and his ninja," the Kazekage says cautiously. Gaara stares at them, his sand swishing around inside his gourd. Blood drips from his gourd slowly.

Naruto grins and holds out his hand, "Hi, I'm Naruto!" Gaara stares at his hand for a long moment.

The red head murmurs, "Mother wants your blood."

Naruto smirks, "Well tell mother that she can't have any of my blood or Kyuubi will be mad at her." Gaara seems to think before his eyes go wide. The sand around him becomes very turbulent, swishing dust into the air.

Gaara murmurs in surprise, "Mother…is sorry." Orochimaru smiles knowingly at the Kazekage who seems to be in shock.

"Good!" Naruto exclaims, draping his arm over Gaara's shoulder in a brotherly manner. He points out his team, "That's Kimimaro, Jolly Jirobo, Strange Sakon, Creepy Kidomaru, and the loveliest girl ever Tayuya!" Gaara nods to them while Tayuya bites her tongue to stop from yelling at him in front of the Kazekage. Kimimaro bows to Gaara slightly. The Kazekage raises an eyebrow at the introductions while Anko chuckles at the expressions on Naruto's teammates' faces.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gaara of the sand," Kimimaro says slowly. Gaara stares at him apathetically and shrugs. He looks up at his father with cold eyes.

The Kazekage explains, "These are our new allies."

"I will go with them," Gaara states.

The Kazekage frowns, "I never gave you permission to leave the village."

"I didn't ask for it, did I?" Gaara growls. The sand flows around the boy's feet in a trail from his gourd. The small red haired boy glares up at his father dangerously. "Mother has no problems taking your blood."

The Kazekage snaps, "Silence, Gaara! Continue and I will have you executed for treason." The Sound Five tense up. Jirobo rubs his hands together expectantly while Tayuya slowly lifts her flute towards her lips. Kidomaru glances at the number of Anbu and quickly comes up with a strategy to take them out, sticky yellow web forming in his palms. Sakon creeps forward slightly and stares at the Kazekage intently for any exposed skin while flexing his fingers. Naruto continues grinning, but one look in his eye reveals the hard gaze of a killer. Shadow clones appear beneath him, ready to pop out of the sand to attack at a moment's notice. Orochimaru watches with amusement. His own hand rests on the hilt of the Grass Cutter Sword.

"You can try," Gaara intones. Naruto cheers on Gaara while Anko whispers something in his ear. He frowns and nods. He turns back to his father, "I will stay here for now. However, these ninja will train with me."

Orochimaru smiles at the Kazekage. "I have no objections."

The Kazekage glares down at his son before answering, "Fine. I will allow your training of Gaara. But, he cannot leave the village without his teacher Baki and his siblings Temari and Kankuro!"

Anko grins menacingly, "We wouldn't dream of taking him outside the village, other than to practice jutsu in your vast desert. That would be okay, right?"

The Anbu look to their Kazekage worriedly since they are unsure of his answer. He thinks about it for a long moment and nods. "My Anbu will be watching."

"I would have it no other way," Orochimaru smirks. Naruto cheers and pulls Gaara to his teammates. The blonde enthusiastically carries on about how they are all going to get super strong. Gaara looks around the group for any hatred filled looks. The only look that he finds even remotely close to it is the look Tayuya is giving the loud mouth. He allows himself to show a very small smile. The Kazekage sees the smile and frowns more before turning on his heels and walking away in long strides. The Anbu disappear in swirls of sand.

Naruto whispers to Anko, "What did you tell Gaara?"

Anko replies very quietly, "That he can join us later after the invasion of Konoha. Lord Orochimaru has given me the authority for such decisions." Naruto smiles cheerfully and nods in agreement.

Once the Kazekage is out of earshot, Sakon whines, "It's so hot here! My makeup is going to run for sure!"

"Shut up, you yellow-livered cross dressing moron!" Tayuya shouts.

Jirobo mumbles, "A lady shouldn't use such language, Tayuya."

"That goes for you too, fatso!" Tayuya snaps loudly. Naruto stares at her with hearts in his eyes which earns him a wack over the head from Tayuya's flute. Gaara raises an eyebrow and watches their interaction with interest. Sakon tries to pull a kunai to try to teach Tayuya a lesson, but he finds that his weapons pouch is filled with and covered by spider webs. Kidomaru whistles innocently.

Anko snaps her fingers and they all fall silent. She says, "Gaara, I am Lord Orochimaru's personal assistant Anko Mitarashi. You may call me Lady Anko." Gaara nods slowly and eyes the Sannin distrustfully.

"Kukuku, you don't trust me," chuckles Orochimaru. His eyes narrow and he hisses, "That is very wise of you not to trust me. You have great potential. My comrade the Toad Sannin will be here in a few days to look at your seal and modify it so that you can sleep, but so that you maintain a steady control over the sand. Shukaku will no longer be able to speak to you. He will merely protect you." Gaara's eyes fill with a small amount of hope before it vanishes and is replaced by a cold glare.

Gaara states solemnly, "We'll see when he comes."

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	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **the drill continues

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_Author's note: I would have updated sooner, but my computer keeps crashing every time I finish a chapter. Sorry! _

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_Two days later later: _

Jiraiya closes the door of the small candle-lit room. He kneels to examine Gaara's seal. The young boy stands shirtless with his arms crossed over his chest. Gaara glares at him distrustfully, though the sand remains on the floor around him. The sand churns slowly around him. Jiraiya sighs and states, "Five pronged seal. This might hurt a little." His right hand's fingertips glow with chakra. He slams his hand into the Jinchuuriki's stomach. The blow knocks the boy off his feet and he lands on his back unconscious.

Jiraiya smiles, "Much better." The sand lies lifeless around the room. He takes out his paintbrush and bottle of ink. He studies the seal, lightly painting additions on the skin. After an hour or two, he finally finishes the job and removes the five pronged seal. The Sanin opens the door and states to the waiting sand siblings, "Gaara may sleep now and has complete control over his demon. My job is done for now. If you need me, I'll be at the nearest bar."

Orochimaru grabs him by the back of the shirt and drags him back into the room. "If you get drunk before checking on Naruto to see how his Rasengan training is going, I will send you to Tsunade in a full body cast."

Jiraiya grumbles but agrees to check on him. He shushins towards the co-ed hot springs with water fresh from a hot under-the-desert stream.

Naruto is sitting on the water with a water balloon jerking in all directions on his hand. Despite his eyes being closed, he says, "Hi, Pervy Sage. Did Lord Orochimaru send you?" His teammates surround him, all naked. Tayuya sits opposite of Naruto with a warm cloth covering her face.

"That's not important," grunts Jiraiya. "You haven't completed this stage of the rasengan training. I can go." He turns to leave when he hears a loud Pop!

"Think again," Naruto replies smugly. "I just wanted to see the look on your face. Now, what's the next step?"

Jiraiya pauses long enough to toss him a rubber ball. It bounces off the water and lands in Naruto's waiting hand. "Pop it the same way."

"Thanks. I have a present for you," Naruto calls. Jiraiya looks over his shoulder. The blonde boy snaps his fingers and three young women walk in from behind a curtain on the wall. They aren't wearing anything and are gorgeous.

They say in unison, "Hello, Lord Jiraiya." They bow as one. They are a blonde, a redhead, and a brunette. The redhead says, "We have been instructed to assist in your writing process."

The brunette smiles, "We will serve you in any way you deem necessary."

The blonde winks and says seductively, "If the stories of you are true, I'm yours until you leave our village. Anything, anytime, anywhere." She licks her lips as she looks the older ninja over.

Jiraiya calls back to his student, "You've learned well, brat. I'll send them back to you later to help you improve on your arsenal of distraction jutsu."

Naruto inquires of his red-haired teammate, "Honey, do you have any objections?"

"Don't call me 'honey', stupid," Tayuya groans in frustration, keeping the cloth on her face. She wants to object, but Kabuto's direct orders were to help Naruto in any way he needed when it came to his training. Half of her wants to smack him while the other half wants to kill the other girls for even thinking of touching _her _Naruto. She sighs, "Those girls are sluts. They aren't touching you."

Naruto states, "Distraction Jutsus are part of my training. I will need help improving them."

Tayuya throws the cloth at him and replies harshly, "Fine! I'll help with your stupid perverted jutsus. But if you do anything outside of my very specific instructions, I'll clobber you. Got it, idiot?" Naruto leans back in the pool with a victorious grin. His teammates look shocked. Her glare silences any comments.

"Not bad," Jiraiya smirks pervertedly, a notebook already in hand as he takes notes. "I guess these girls are mine for the duration. I might even take them home if they prove…useful. Later, kids." The Sound Six waves as he leaves.

**Elsewhere in the Sand Village the Next Day: **

The Kazekage sits complacently across from the three Sanin, all of which have their protégée behind them. Kabuto, Shizune, and Naruto stand at the ready while three Sand Anbu are behind the Kazekage. Orochimaru sips his tea and says quietly, "The Leaf Village will be hosting the Chunin Exams in four years. In that time, any information leaving the Sound and Sand will be saying that the Sanin have not shown up since their desertion of Konoha. The Sound village is a new, but powerful village who will be attending the Chunin Exams. I assume we are in agreement on what to do after that."

"Of course," the Kazekage frowns. "We destroy the Hidden Leaf and take their place as a major power. News has reached my ears that Gaara's seal has been modified. Will he still be able to be used at that time?"

Jiraiya sighs, "You doubt me? I am a seal master. That boy will be trained on how to draw out and use his demon to the best of his abilities. He will be more lethal by the time the Chunin exams take place then he would left to his own."

"Be sure that he will," the Kazekage replies coldly. "We have much more to lose than any of you."

Naruto says loudly, "You don't know anything about what we have to lose! We could lose our whole village! You would just have a short war with the Hidden Leaf."

"Any further comments, young one?" the Kazekage inquires patiently.

"Yeah," Naruto states. He sits down directly in front of the Kazekage and says very seriously, "If any of my men are going to be put in danger by your arrogance or stupidity, I will come back here for your head myself." He stands and goes back to his post behind Jiraiya.

The Kazekage laughs humorlessly, "I see that you have quite a bit of spirit. I would suggest you reign in that big mouth of yours before it gets you killed."

"I suggest the same for you, Kazekage," Naruto states without an ounce of respect.

Jiraiya laughs to break the tension and takes a drink of the wine provided. "Now, now, relax, everyone. I apologize for my dear protégé's outburst." His laughter fades and he states just as seriously as Naruto, "But what he said was dead on. If you try to double-cross us, we will kill you. Only Danzo the Salamandar has ever beaten us, and you are not in his league, with all due respect, sir."

The Kazekage smiles tensely under the veil covering most of his face. "It is good to know where we stand on such things. We are in agreement on the plans then. We will convene at the next appointed time."

"A moment, if you will," Orochimaru says with authority. "I would like to discuss your son, the Jinchuuriki."

The Kazekage gazes at the Sannin harshly, "He is not my son! He is a tool of the village."

Tsunade mutters to Jiraiya, "Sounds like an old warhawk that we know." Jiraiya chuckles.

Orochimaru replies coolly, "And what better way for a tool of the village to be sharpened and brought to its full potential, if not for training with a fellow Jinchuuriki and his men?"

"You have a Jinchuuriki?" the Kazekage inquires.

Naruto speaks up again, "That'd be me, Kazekage." The two have a staring contest until the blonde smiles and continues, "Don't worry, sir. I wouldn't do anything to undermine your authority…too much."

Kabuto watches the scene with amusement from his post behind Orochimaru. Shizune is shaking her head, keeping an eye on all the ninja in the room with her hands in her sleeves.

"You would take him to the Sound Village for training for the next few years?" the Kazekage asks politely.

"We would," Tsunade confirms. "It would be the most efficient way, especially with my medical facility so close to deal with any…unfortunate incidents…during their training."

"It would also give you an edge on the other villages," Orochimaru reminds him. "Nobody would see how powerful the Jinchuuriki would become. I would be beyond a Genin level by the time of the exams, I assure you."

An Anbu whispers in the Kazekage's ear for a moment. The Kazekage says out loud to the Sannin, "I accept your proposition on the condition that Baki, Temari, and Kankuro remain with Gaara during his training. It's not that I don't trust you; it's just that I don't trust you. At all."

"That is both understandable and acceptable," Orochimaru smiles. He stands and bows respectfully, "We shall take our leave."

Jiraiya speaks up, "Hey! There are three young women I would like to take with me to our village."

The Kazekage sighs and announces, "Take them and go!" The Sannin bow again as one and leave. Their protégé's start to follow them.

Naruto calls over his shoulder, "If you ever make an attempt on Gaara's life again, I will hold you personally responsible twice over. Don't be stupid." He leaves.

Kabuto bows politely and smiles menacingly, "I do apologize for my teammate's rudeness…but I will be the one to land the finishing blow it happens." He leaves.

Shizune sighs and calls to the Anbu behind the Kazekage, "Look me up sometime. I'll give you night training that you'll never forget." She winks and walks out. When they are out of earshot, she sighs to herself, "I have been around Lord Jiraiya entirely too much."

Kabuto nudges her as they walk, "What's the matter? Too lonely at the village?"

She pushes him away and grunts, "There are no decent men at our village! You're a perfect example of that."

Naruto jokes, "I'm wounded, Shizune! I happen to be prince charming!" He strikes a pose. She giggles and pushes him too.

"Talk to me when you're a little older, and we'll see about that," she says, only half kidding.

Naruto replies smoothly, "Talk to Tayuya! She's going to be helping me with my Distraction Jutsu, and she might need some assistance with the more elaborate jutsu. She's crazy about me!"

"Is that why she is constantly trying to kill you?" Kabuto asks teasingly.

Naruto scowls, "She just hasn't realized her undying love for me yet. Give it some time!"

Shizune rolls her eyes, but Kabuto notices her writing a brief note on her arm just under her sleeve. He chuckles but, for his own safety, does not mention it.

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